Author's Note: The song that inspired this chapter, is also the song that inspired this whole story. This is one you should definitely check out :) Happy reading!

Song Inspiration: Whatcha Wanna Do About It by Madeline Merlo

TWENTY-FOUR | WHATCHA WANNA DO ABOUT IT

Of the twelve students Bakugo observed yesterday afternoon, there were two in particular that held his interest. One a girl long plum colored hair and pale eyes, and the other a spunky guy with a mohawk. The girl, who he'd called Plum because he wouldn't remember her name anyway, kept to herself, not really interacting with any of the others. In the whole four hours they were in Gym Gamma, he never heard her speak once. It was both weird and fascinating to him at the same time. Then there was Mohawk, who more or less was a human-scorpion. He had a long poison tail, armor plated skin, and could morph his hands into razor sharp pincers. His reflexes and agility were rather impressive too.

The other students were decent, capable at the very least, but Bakugo still wasn't sure what made them elite. If Ponytail could wipe the floor with them then that didn't say much. Bakugo could admit that Ponytail was gifted when it came to battle strategy and hand to hand combat, but that was the extent of it. Unless she created something more dangerous like a cannon, which she did before during their third year to take him and his team out. She almost succeeded, but she underestimated Kirishima's hardening ability.

For the night, he and Uraraka were staying in Eraserhead's old room while Icyhot and Ponytail were staying in Ectoplasm's old room. Apparently he had retired from teaching, but according to All Might they already had some replacements in mind. Bakugo had tuned out after that, wanting to go relax for the evening. They had an early start in the morning; 5:00 AM was when they were heading to the secure training location.

He propped his feet on the coffee table in front of him as he flipped through the pages of a magazine. A hand combed through his hair, causing him to look up. Uraraka pulled her hand back, wrapping it around her coffee mug. She wore a pink oversized sweater that fell to her mid thigh, her hair was damp from her shower, and the scent of her peach and strawberry lotion filled his nose. His eyes scanned her up and down, the sight of her put him at ease. He'd been grumpy all day, tightly wound up worrying about being at UA, thinking about his conversation with Kamui Woods, and he wondered how the other teams were faring. Seeing Uraraka, smiling at him in her comfy clothes made all of that other stuff fade away.

"Would you like some tea?" Uraraka asked before taking a sip of her drink. "I think you need some."

"Probably wouldn't be a bad idea," Bakugo replied as he closed the magazine.

"Just sit, I'll make it for you." Uraraka waved for him to stay down and wandered back to the little kitchen area. She opened up a cabinet and stood on her tiptoes, reaching into the cabinet for a mug.

Bakugo smiled. "Want a box, Pink Cheeks?"

"Very funny," Uraraka snipped as she poured the tea into the mug and dropped in a few honey crystals. "You must not be that tense, if you got jokes."

Bakugo chuckled.

Uraraka came back to the couch and sat beside him, handing him the mug while sipping from hers. She let out a refreshed breath and tucked her legs beneath her. "So talk. Bottling it all inside isn't going to do you any good."

"I'm fine, Pink Cheeks," Bakugo said and took a drink of the tea; chamomile. He sank back into the couch, eyes forward. The room was barren, no decorations to speak of. Aside from the bistro table beside the kitchen, the red couch, and coffee table there wasn't much to look at.

"I don't believe you."

Bakugo met her gaze. The fire had returned to her. Whatever sadness she had about Ryukyu's death had left her. Now, all he saw was determination and he liked it. He put his mug down and stretched his arm down the back of the couch. The skin of his tricep just barely grazed her sweater.

She continued to stare at him, never wavering.

He sighed and reached for a strand of her hair, giving it a gentle tug. She clicked her tongue and playfully hit his arm. "I'm just thinking about everything going on with this Daizen 7 case. I want to know what their goal is."

Uraraka leaned her head against his arm, which elicited a tingling sensation in his spine. "We're going to find out what they want and we're going to stop them. We won't let them get away with the horrible things they've done."

Bakugo nodded with a smile. "How are you really?"

"I'm still sad, but I trust the team that we have."

"I do too."

Uraraka smiled. "Good."

Bakugo's eyes traced her face, the curve of her nose, the softness of her jawline. She was beautiful. He glanced at her lips for a brief second, plump and pink. Closing his eyes, Bakugo took a deep breath and let it out. Dangerous territory lied ahead, he had to keep it together. "What did you think of the students today?"

"They were all strong in their own right, but I'm really curious about Amaya Goda."

Bakugo blinked. "Describe her, Pink Cheeks. I don't know any names."

Uraraka rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow at the end of the day you are going to know all their names."

"Good luck with that," Bakugo laughed.

"She was the one with the plum colored hair and pale eyes."

"Plum," Bakugo repeated with a nod. "I noticed her too. She didn't talk either."

"Amaya not Plum," Uraraka corrected, sitting up straighter. "I asked All Might about her, according to him she came here last year. Iida's agency found her and brought her in off the streets."

"Did he say what her quirk was?"

"She's kind of like Eraserhead. She can stop people's quirks, but hers is by touch and something about having a time limit."

"I never saw her use it."

"Me either, but I definitely want to." Uraraka took a sip of her tea. "Anyone else that you noticed?"

"Mohawk. The scorpion dude."

Uraraka sighed. "Yudai Sasoriza."

"Never gonna remember."

Uraraka rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're unbelievable"

Bakugo grabbed his mug from the table and sipped. "Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Sounded like one to me," Bakugo replied with a smirk.

Uraraka giggled and shifted on the couch cushions, pulling one knee into her chest while her other leg stretched toward the floor. She tapped her nails against her mug and gave a sideways glance at Bakugo. "You're a good guy."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I thought I knew who you were back in high school," she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Turns out I didn't know very much. These last few months, you've changed everything for me."

Heat swelled within Bakugo, his fingers ached with the need to touch her. He wanted to close the distance between them, he wanted to hold her against his chest, and smell her hair. A sense of wholeness and peace came over him. His lips parted, but he didn't know what to say to her. All he knew was that his heart was pounding and the desire to kiss her overwhelmed him.

Uraraka bit her lip and looked down, letting out a small laugh. She glanced back at him, her chocolate eyes shining so bright. "I'm sorry that kinda came out of nowhere, huh?"

Bakugo licked his lips and reached for her face, gently stroking her cheek. "It's okay," he said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving hers. "Don't apologize."

She turned to face him, scooting just a little closer. Her knees were pressed against his thigh. In a way, it was like she wanted it too. To touch. To kiss. To hold one another. He sat up straighter, leaning toward her. She mirrored his movements, eyes on him, smile growing wider with each passing second.

The truth was Bakugo didn't understand the feeling in his chest. He didn't understand what it was about her that got his blood pumping. Whenever they talked, he just wanted to stay like that forever.

His eyes drifted to her lips as they grew closer together. Flutters rose in his gut and the tingling sensations had spread beyond his spine. His hand twitched with the desire to grab the back of her head and pull her lips onto his. He fought the urge with every ounce of willpower he had left, and it was a losing battle.

Uraraka let out a shaky breath as their noses touched. She closed her eyes, licked her lips, and pulled back. "It's uh...getting late. We should go to bed, we have an early start."

Bakugo closed his eyes and fell back against the armrest of the couch. "Right."

She stood and picked up her cup of tea. "Goodnight, Bakugo."

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Goodnight, Pink Cheeks."

She crossed the small living space and opened the bedroom door. She turned back to face him, lingering in the doorway for a moment, looking like she had something more to say. "Bakugo," she said softly, their eyes meeting. "I'm glad I'm getting to know you." With those words she closed the door.

-xXx-

The secluded training grounds were to the north of Musatafu, nestled in the mountainous wetlands and forests. It had been a three hour drive to the drop off point, and the training was about to begin. Present Mic and All Might had all the students line up and gave the speech about how the week long training session would determine if they were ready to enter the world of pro heroes.

Bakugo still hadn't learned any of the students' names, but he knew there were twelve in total: five being girls, the remaining seven boys. His eyes drifted over to Plum. She stood at the end of the line, hair in a loose braid and eyes downcasted to the ground. Beside her was Mohawk, who looked indifferent to the speech Present Mic was giving. Bakugo smirked, Mohawk reminded him a lot of his younger self.

A cool breeze blew across the hillside they were on, the tall grasses of the wetlands below rattled and almost sounded like rain falling on the pavement. From where they were located the lodging they were staying at was about a two to three hour trek across the marsh, forest, and mountain slopes. On the other side of the mountains in the valley was a lake where their training would be conducted.

The morning sun was high in the sky and all the clouds had faded away. Bakugo turned his attention back to Present Mic and All Might, who finished their speech of working hard, determination, and working together to accomplish their first task.

"Creati," All Might said, turning to Ponytail. "Would you like to tell them what their mission is?"

Ponytail nodded and stepped in front of the line of students. They all watched her with intrigue, especially the boys, but Bakugo assumed that was because her costume left little to the imagination with so much exposed skin. She held her arm out in front of her chest and activated her quirk, the shimmering light glistened off her skin. Twelve key cards appeared and she held them out for all of them to see. "In order to get into the lodge we'll be staying at you'll need to obtain these cards."

"Where's the lodge located?" the tallest student in the class with shaggy dark brown hair asked. He had his hand stuffed into the jacket of his UA gym wear and looked like he was about to fall asleep.

Ponytail pressed a communicator tucked into her ear. She had given one to him, Uraraka, and Icyhot before they got off the bus. "Send up a flare."

A few seconds later, toward the south, on the other side of the mountain chain a bright orange flare flashed in the sky. Bakugo pursed his lips, scanning the terrain between the mountains and where they stood. A stretch of wetlands for several yards, then they would enter the thick of the bush.

"That's where your destination is," Ponytail said as she handed three cards to him, Uraraka, and Icyhot. "It's an easy two and half hour walk using the trail," she pointed to the stairway leading down to the wetland, "but it's not going to be simple."

"We have to steal the cards from one of you, right?" Mohawk asked, his tail swishing behind him, a smirk on his face. He punched his fist into his palm, raring for a fight. "I'm so ready."

"Are there any rules to this?" the boy beside Mohawk asked. His eyes were different colors, the left being green and the right being blue. "Time limits or whatever?"

All Might stepped forward. "You have until noon to get a key card from one of them. They will not be attacking you, only defending or escaping."

Bakugo snorted. "Lame."

Uraraka elbowed him in the ribs.

"So they aren't going to ambush us?" the shortest student, a puny little girl, asked with a tilt of her head.

"Correct." All Might nodded. "And you all are permitted to hit them with everything you got."

"What happens if we don't get a card?" a girl with bear ears sprouting from her head asked. "Are we suspended?"

"No, you get to do remedial training on top of the training you'll already be doing," Present Mic said with a big grin. "It's in your incentive to complete the mission on time. Ground Zero is a ruthless coach."

Bakugo grinned. "I'll break them real good."

"Any further questions?" Ponytail asked as she fell in line between Uraraka and Icyhot. Her eyes drifted among all twelve students. They appeared ready, their eyes filled with determination and heads held high. Bakugo was ready to knock them down a peg.

All Might checked the time on his watch. "It's 8:00," he said, looking at the students. "You have four hours. Good luck."

The students didn't seem to understand it was their chance to attack early. Icyhot wasted no time, slamming his foot on the ground, creating a massive wall of ice. Ponytail ran for the wood railing and used a grappling hook to repel down the side of the cliff. Icyhot followed after her, creating an ice slide to reach the bottom. Bakugo wrapped an arm around Uraraka's waist and fired off an explosion. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they flew from the rest area platform.

A loud screech echoed from behind. Bakugo glanced over his shoulder, the icewall shattered and the students leapt through the break in the wall. He snickered, firing off another explosion. Once above the forest, Bakugo dropped down, still holding onto Uraraka. They touched the forest floor, and Bakugo turned back around, peering through the branches.

"Thanks for the lift," Uraraka said as she looked for the students too. All of them were about halfway across the wetland. Icyhot and Ponytail were nowhere to be seen, but Bakugo assumed they'd reach the trees given the massive ice bridge stretching across the field.

"You gonna be okay on your own?" Bakugo asked, turning to her.

She smiled. "Are you worried about me?"

He chuckled. "I'm more worried about them."

"Remember, you're only allowed to defend and flee, not ambush or attack them."

Bakugo rolled his eyes and took a few steps away from her. "My only promise is to not kill them."

"Restraint, Bakugo!"

He blasted off, disappearing into the thick of the trees, heading toward the west. If those kids were truly elite, they'd find him within half an hour. Only time would tell.

-xXx-

Momo raced down a narrow animal trail, tree branches scraped against her arms and tugged at her hair. She leapt over a fallen log and barrel rolled under another. The plants around her writhed around as if they were coming to life. Sunlight broke through the gaps in the trees overhead, but it was hardly enough to truly illuminate the area. She needed to get some distance between her and the students; currently, she was certain two were on her.

A wall of roots burst from the ground ahead of her. Momo gasped, coming to a sliding halt. She spun around to go toward the right. Unfortunately, another wall of roots and vines blocked her path. When she turned around, her path to the left was also blocked. It looked like she had no other choice, but to face them head on.

Two students approached her. She had read up on all the students last night with Shoto, knowing they would be facing off against them while at the training camp. Plus, she wanted to be able to prepare them for the future. Third year was a critical year to close any gaps they had before entering the world of pro heroes. It was a chance to dip their toe into the water and get an idea of what was to come. Sure the news broadcasted lots of information, but how one acted in theory versus reality was different.

Momo calmed her breathing. If she couldn't go anywhere but through them, she would have to do it quickly and with no mistakes. Given the plant life that sprouted out of the ground, she knew one of the students had to be Hideki Takahashi. From what she recalled, he had the ability to manipulate plants around him to use as weapons, walls, or ropes.

Hideki stopped about four meters from where Momo stood. A boy with black shaggy hair, poking from underneath the hood of his jacket floated beside him. His eyes were heterochromatic like Shoto's. If Momo remembered correctly his name was Sora Kutsuki and his student profile called his quirk: wraith. Given the fact he was floating and a gray smoke swirled around him, she figured he was something like a ghost.

"We'll be taking those cards now," Hideki said, stretching his arms above his head then cracking his neck.

"If you want them, come and get them." Momo smiled and held her arm out, creating an electrical rod, but to everyone else it looked like her usual tool of choice. The shock wouldn't do any serious damage, but it would have them feeling numb for a good ten minutes. Her thumb rested against the power button.

"You're trapped." Hideki gestured to the wall of plants, they grew together at the top, creating a dense canopy. "Aren't pros supposed to be harder to catch than this?"

Momo glared and twirled the rod around, pointing it at him. "Aren't you cheeky."

"We have the skills to back it up," Sora whispered in her ear.

A chill washed over her, bringing goosebumps all over her skin. Wisps of gray smoke surrounded her, blurring her vision. A hand brushed against her shoulder, the prickling of spiders crawling all over her caused her to stiffen.

"I'll take those cards now," Sora said, reaching for her utility belt.

Momo closed her eyes. It's not real. She spun the electro-rod in her hand, pressed the button and stabbed behind her. Sora cried out as electric pulses shot through his body. He collapsed onto the ground and Momo charged Hideki.

Vines shot from the trees, entangling Momo. She had almost gotten into striking distance. Hideki let out a sigh of relief and smiled as he approached her. "I thought you were gonna get me, but the forest is my kingdom."

Momo shook her head. "Rule number one," she created an electric stun grenade and pressed the button, tossing it toward him. Hideki jumped back and wrapped himself up in a cocoon of vines. "Never underestimate your opponent." Her eyes flicked up into the trees, a spark of fire emitted from above.

"AP Shot!" Bakugo cried out as explosions rained down, striking the cocoon and the vines holding Momo.

She dropped to the ground and created a smoke bomb. Hideki's cocoon burned away and he fell to one knee. He lifted his hand toward Bakugo, but Momo set off the smoke bomb blocking his view. He choked on the smoke and Momo ran past him, heading into the forest.

A large pitfall stretched across her path, she leaped over it with ease and continued running. After another minute of running and winding through the trees, Momo came to a halt and looked back. Bakugo hadn't followed her, probably heading on his own way. She would thank him later for the save.

Momo pulled her phone from her side pouch and checked the time: 9:02 AM. An entire hour had been allotted, meaning the students had three more hours to catch them. While the two had done well at trapping her, they still had a lot to learn. The first thing being to not assume they'd won if they had their target cornered. Stuffing her phone back into the pouch, Momo walked on through the forest, heading up a cliffside.

When she reached the top, she wiped the sweat from her brow. The summer heat was coming in at full force and an oppressing wave of humidity bore down. She continued along toward a small clearing, standing at the edge, determining which route to take. The mountains were straight ahead of her along with the lake and lodge they'd be staying at.

Momo decided to head in that direction. She took a few steps, when a chill came over her. A shaky breath escaped her. The prickle of insects crawling over her body came back. She glanced at her arms and screamed as spiders crawled toward her shoulder. Momo swiped them off her arm and stumbled back, tripping over a rock that jutted out of the earth. When she hit the ground, the hiss of snakes filled her ears. Her eyes widened as several snakes slithered from the grass, pulling back and ready to strike.

"Creati!" Ochaco's voice echoed from behind.

Momo gasped. A shadow loomed over her and the snakes and spiders vanished. She gritted her teeth, glaring at Sora as he hovered above her like a reaper. "You're pretty good."

"Release!" Ochaco shouted as a black ring flew over Momo's head.

Sora flinched as the ring blew right through him. Momo jumped to her feet and quickly did a roundhouse kick. She made zero contact, but Sora backed away. Physical attacks didn't work, but she got him earlier with her electro-rod. She created one, pressed the button and slashed left and right. Sora continued dodging, his body returning to a more human like state. The sun blazed down on them in the clearing.

Sora fully materialized before her, weaving through her strikes. He stumbled back in the tall grass, landing on his back. Momo twirled the rod, holding it in front of his face. She let out a breath, locking eyes with Sora. "Your weakness is sunlight, so you probably shouldn't fight alone."

Sora smirked. "I'm not alone."

The ground beneath her shook, causing her to stagger back. A root pierced out of the ground and wrapped around her ankle. Momo screamed as the vine whipped her around several times before finally flinging her toward a massive tree. The wind escaped from her lungs and pain erupted from her spine. She slammed onto the ground, her vision spotty and limbs unwilling to move. Something warm and sticky slid down the side of her face. Her fingers brushed against it: blood.

"Momo." Ochaco skidded to a halt beside her and before she could touch her a powerful blast of wind sent her flying. Across the clearing, Uravity smashed through a boulder, her visor broke away from her head as she crumbled to the ground.

Momo groaned and forced herself to roll onto her back. Gravel crunched and a student with green eyes stood over her. He knelt down beside her, his brown hair falling into his eyes. His name was Sota Inoue, and if she remembered correctly his quirk was called razor wind. "Might have overdone it with that last one," he said, glancing over to where Ochaco laid unconscious on the ground. "Now, where are those key cards."

Ice shot out of the treeline. Sota jumped back and lifted his palms, sending gale force winds into the forest. Several trees snapped in half and slammed onto the earth. Momo took her chance, summoning every ounce of willpower and strength to get out of there. She climbed to her feet, but once again roots took hold of her.

Damnit! Stupid vines! Momo swore as the plants lifted her into the air. Across the clearing, Uravity was also being lifted. She struggled to get free, but her legs and arms were pinned tight. They were brought toward Sora and Hideki, who stood at the far end of the clearing.

Trees continued to fall as Sota unleashed gust after gust, following the spears of ice coming from the forest. Shoto was making a large ring around the clearing. Her eyes darted back to Sora and Hideki. Bakugo leapt from the trees and landed behind them, slamming his fist into the ground. An earth shattering explosion tore the ground apart. The vines shriveled away as flames consumed them.

Momo and Ochaco fell into the plush grass. Bakugo fired off two more explosions as he rose, sending Hideki and Sora into the middle of the field. He ran over to Momo and Ochaco, first helping Momo to her feet then quickly scooped Ochaco into his arms.

"Move your ass, Ponytail!" Bakugo hollered as he ran toward the shattered boulders.

"What about Shoto?" Momo called back and whipped around, her eyes widened as a massive wall of flame formed a crescent around the clearing. Sota stood in the center of the flames, unable to do anything. If he did, he'd set the whole forest ablaze.

"Come on!" Bakugo shouted from the treeline.

Momo let out a breath, racing over to Bakugo and trusting Shoto would be okay.

-xXx-

Bakugo leaned back against a tree, arms crossed, and eyes closed as he tried to formulate a plan. It was nearly ten o'clock and in those short two hours, he came to realize the third years weren't some pushovers. Those kids could take a hit. Prior to crossing paths with Momo when she was trapped the first time, he'd been attempting to escape Mohawk and Bones. They held nothing back, going in with every intention of taking him down.

A tree branch snapped. His eyes shot open, aiming in the direction of the sound. He dropped his arm as Icyhot walked up, holding his hands in the air, blood staining his forearm.

"Shoto," Ponytail gasped, her eyes on his arm.

"I'm fine," he replied with a small smile, glanced at Uraraka, lying unconscious on the ground with her head wrapped with bandages. "Clearly we're going to need to be more aggressive with these students. They're no joke, especially Sota Inoue. His wind power is impressive, he may be equally as strong as Inasa Yoarashi."

"We still have two hours," Ponytail said as Icyhot sat beside her. "Do we stick together or keep on going our separate ways?"

Bakugo snorted. "Uraraka's out and you probably got a concussion. Sticking together is our only choice. Chances are that commotion brought them all together, so they'll be planning a combined attack."

"Were any of them badly injured?" Ponytail asked, looking first to Icyhot then to Bakugo.

"Roughed up, but I wouldn't say they're going to stay down for long," Bakugo replied, glancing through the break in the trees. They didn't have too much longer before they'd have to get a move on. He assumed they would start searching again soon. "We'll have to move out soon if we don't want them to find us."

Uraraka stirred. She reached for the cut on her head. "Ow."

"O," Momo sighed in relief. "You're okay."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Uraraka said with a groan as she sat up. "Those kids are viscous."

"They're a diverse group of fighters," Icyhot said with a shake of his head. "Some are long range, some are mid, and some are ideal for hand to hand combat. Not to mention we're sorely outnumbered three to one."

"This is meant to be an evaluation," Ponytail commented as she laid back on the ground. "We're meant to see if they're ready to enter the work study program. They all already have provisional licenses."

"Which is exactly why we shouldn't hold back," Bakugo cut in. He walked over to the group and glanced at Uraraka. Even if she was up, given the attack she suffered without getting medical attention first it put her at risk for greater damage. This put them at an even worse advantage. His eyes flicked to Ponytail, even she was pretty roughed up. "The reality is when they're facing villains, no one will take it easy on them, why should we?"

"You have a whole week to beat up on them, Bakugo," Uraraka said with a smile. "Right now, the focus is evaluation and also to work on their capturing techniques. Don't you remember when we had to do this during our third year?"

Bakugo snorted. "I remember Present Mic screaming until my ears were bleeding."

"The lodge is about an hour walk that way," Icyhot said, pointing toward a canyon that cut through the mountains. It wasn't the only route, but it would be the most direct one. "We should probably decide where to go next. And I do agree with Bakugo, we shouldn't hold back on these kids."

"Now you're speaking my language, Icyhot." Bakugo punched his fist into his palm and grinned. "Let's remind them we're pros."

A flash of plum colored hair jumped into their resting place behind Ponytail and Icyhot. Bakugo's eyes widened as Plum knelt behind them grabbing their shoulders. "Well, we're future pros."

Bakugo lifted his hands to fire off some explosions, but was blasted by a powerful tempest. He crashed through branches and trees, before slamming into the ground and rolling several times. When he came to a stop, Bakugo cursed under his breath. Sharp pains radiated from his ribs, which had definitely been fractured if not broken. He tried to get up, a coppery taste filled in his mouth. Spitting it out, Bakugo got onto his knees and clutched his side as a pulsating pain crippled him. That fucking Typhoon guy held nothing back in that strike.

Mohawk dropped in from the cliffside, standing three meters from Bakugo. His tail whipped from side to side then tensed going straight over his head. If he thought Bakugo was gonna let him stab him, he was dead wrong. Lifting his hand, Bakugo fired off a huge explosion. Screw what All Might said, these kids weren't holding back, so what the fuck should he?

After three consecutive explosions, Bakugo dropped his hand. The smoke blew away, but Mohawk was nowhere to be seen. Bakugo's eyes scanned the area, then a piece of gravel fell from the cliff. Bakugo fired two more shots at the cliff's edge, his ribs searing with pain as the explosions shook his body. He grimaced and tried to get to his feet.

"You're very dangerous," someone said from behind.

Bakugo whipped around and blasted the person, only to have it be shot right back in his face. He crashed back into the cliffside wall, groaning as he lay flat on his back staring up at the sky. Leaves crunched to his left and he turned his head, spotting a guy with purple hair covering his left eye.

A shadow loomed over him. On top of the cliff of the little canyon, Mohawk stood and jumped down beside Bakugo, stabbing him in the neck with his tail. It felt like someone had lit him on fire as the toxin spread throughout his body. Mohawk pulled his tail away and sighed, crouching down beside Bakugo, who could no longer move.

"You'll only be paralyzed for twenty minutes or so," Mohawk said as he reached into Bakugo's pocket and pulled out the three key cards. "You're super fast, I almost didn't think we'd catch you."

Bakugo glared, unable to speak, unable to move, he was a fucking lump. His rage built within, but that damn poison had him frozen in place. Damn paralysis!

"Nice job, Yudai," the purple haired guy said as he walked up.

"You're the one who knocked him down, Toshiaki. This is all thanks to you." Mohawk looked at his companion, laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "But Mr. Ground Zero, I'm a huge fan. Sorry, I had to paralyze you, but it was the only way I knew we could get close to you."

Bakugo wanted to blast him straight into the sky. He was wrong. Mohawk was nothing like him...more like Kirishima.

"Hey!" a girl from the top of the cliff called out. "Did you two get him?"

"We got him," the purple haired guy said. "How'd you guys do?"

The girl beamed, giving them a thumbs up. "Operation: Take Down the Pros, complete!"

-xXx-

Ochaco had been impressed with the students' quirks and their overall determination and teamwork to take them down. What was even more impressive was that they accomplished the task in less than three hours. Not only did they manage to overtake them, they even brought them all to the lodge where All Might, Present Mic, and Kamui Woods doctor friend: Dr. Yamaguchi were all waiting for them.

They were all patched up by Dr. Yamguchi, who turned out to be one of the students aunt. Overall, Ochaco believed they would all become powerful heroes one day. She understood what Present Mic meant when he said they were a lot like their class. They worked together and were a found family that trusted one another.

The evening hours had rolled in. The students were making dinner while the pros supervised. Ochaco hadn't seen Bakugo for the last half hour and decided to go check on him. She made her way outside of the lodging facility, heading down the pathway leading to the lake. A bright orange sky with purple and pink clouds stretched above, reflecting off the still surface of the lake like a mirror. She took in a deep breath, enjoying the freshness of the mountain air when she spotted Bakugo sitting on a log turned into a bench just beyond a row of trees.

She walked down the path to join him. He glanced at her and patted the empty spot beside him. When she sat down, they stayed silent, gazing out at the lake. Dragonflies buzzed at the rocky shoreline and the wind whistled through the trees, distorting the smooth surface of the lake. Ochaco played with a frayed string of her shorts while the sun sank lower and lower behind the mountains.

"It's so peaceful," Ochaco said.

Bakugo nodded.

When he didn't say anything she turned to face him, her pinky finger brushing against his. "Are you okay?"

Bakugo met her gaze. "I should be asking you that. Those punk kids got you pretty good."

Ochaco laughed. "They got you too, if you recall." She reached for his tank top, pulling it up to reveal the bandages wrapped around his torso. "I'm looking forward to working with them though. They seem like a really good group, don't you think?"

Bakugo fixed his shirt. "They're still little shits."

"You're just mad they got us."

"Which is exactly why they are all little shits."

Ochaco rolled her eyes and turned back to the water, placing her hand close to Bakugo's. She felt his finger brush against hers. Memories of the night before flashed into her mind, still moments like photographs she would never forget. They had almost kissed and then she backed out like a chicken. She wanted to kiss him, but at the same time she was afraid to. If they kissed what would happen next?

The silence between them that was once always so comfortable and calming had become a loud storm. Her emotions had swelled together like a typhoon and then drowned all her senses like a tsunami. Logically, she could say her emotions were all driven by the fact that Bakugo was incredibly handsome, built like a mountain, and had pulled her out of her slump. That was the rational thought process, and it all pointed to one simple fact that he was just there so she could have felt this way about anyone. Like what if Kirishima had been in Bakugo's place? They were the same...but so different at the same time.

What if it was all in her head? What if what she was feeling was just a fleeting moment?

Ochaco glanced down at their hands, her heart racing so fast she swore Bakugo could hear it thumping on her ribs. She bit the inside of her cheek, finding the courage to look at him. The setting sun kissed his skin and the breeze ruffled his hair. He noticed her staring and looked at her, but it wasn't one of those simple looks. His eyes were dancing with her own.

"Bakugo," she said softly, her cheeks burning as he leaned toward her. She moved a little closer and caught the scent of his cologne. A shiver went through her and all her nerve endings were on edge, tingling and stirring with no intention of stopping.

Bakugo tilted his head, his eyes going from hers to her lips. He slowed in his approach. And her body craved him in that moment. A tightness came to her chest, pleasure swelled deep within. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, closing the distance.

His hand was in her hair, while his other grabbed her arm and pulled her in close. She stopped breathing, warmth coiled inside of her. Bakugo pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mixing together. Ochaco opened her eyes. She couldn't describe what it felt like to kiss him, to feel his hand tug at her hair, to be pressed against him. Her hand rested on his chest, his heart was hammering. She swallowed and opened her eyes, meeting his crimson gaze. He was about to pull away, but Ochaco snaked her hands around his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss.

She wasn't sure how long the second kiss lasted. Everything else vanished. It was only them, in the fading sunlight as the stars broke free and the moonlight came out to greet them. Kissing him, tasting him, lit her up like a bottle rocket, taking her straight into space where they could swim in the galaxy. Whether it was right or wrong didn't matter, in that moment it was exactly what she wanted and needed.

The way he kissed was dominating and passionate. His hands rested at her waist, gripping tight. When she attempted to pull away, he pulled her back like he was dying of thirst and her kiss was an oasis. She smiled against his lips, her fingers locking behind his neck, stroking his blond hair. He kissed her boldly and fiercely, she didn't want him to ever stop.

They broke away from each other, panting heavy as if they'd been running for miles. Ochaco cupped his face in her hands and slowly ran them down his neck to rest on his chest. She brushed her nose against his and smiled as she pulled back.

Bakugo took in a deep breath, his hands still on her waist as his eyes traced every inch of her face. He shook his head, a smirk growing as they sat on the log, facing one another. Nothing needed to be said, it was all completely felt. Neither one of them could deny that there was something going on between them.

"Mr. Ground Zero! Ms. Uravity! You're missing out on our amazing cooking skills!" Mohawk bellowed from the front entrance of the lodge.

Ochaco let her head fall between her shoulders and laughed.

"Little shits, the lot of them," Bakugo grumbled.